Charles j



No. 623,9l2. Patented Apr. 25, I899.

c. J. KIEFER.

MUTE FOR GOBNETS.

(Application filed Dec. 80, 1898.)

(No Model.)

. ings, and to the letters of reference marked UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicEt CHARLES J. KIEFER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MUTE FOR CORNETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 623,912, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed December 80, 1898. Serial No, 700,689. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. KIEFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mutes for Oornets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices which are used as supplementary attachments to musical instruments, and has reference particularly to a device known as a mute, which is inserted temporarilyinto the large open end or bell of a cornet for the purpose of softening the power of the tones emitted therefrom, as well as to modify the sound-vibrations, as is well understood; and it consists in a mute embodying certain new and useful forms of construction whereby the same may perform the usual function of a mute, and also further enhance its value by converting or transforming the cornet temporarily into an instrument having the characteristically-different tone of the French horn much desired and heretofore only attained by employing a separate complete instrument; and it consists, further, in the parts and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 repre sents a longitudinal central sectional view of my invention; Fig. 2, an elevation of the mute, showing its operative position in the bell of a cornet, the latter being shown in a fragmentary longitudinal central sectional view- Fi 3 a bottom )lan and Fi 4 a to J 7 CI 7 9 b plan; and Fig. 5, a top plan of the body portion as seen when the cap is removed.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the construction of my device I preferably employ sheet-aluminium. in the main parts, which is spun into the desired forms or shapes and has advantages overother ma terial, as well as being of very light weight,

which alone is very desirable. Other material, however, may be used, if desired.

In the drawings, A designates the body, and B the cap, of my mute, which in general exterior appearance somewhat resembles other mutes of this type, being necessarily adapted to conform to the bellE of the cornet. The body is cylindrical and has a smaller end 6, preferably beaded, and near this end are afiixed three or more flexible counterpart studs or pieces D, projecting radially from the exterior surface and adapted to be pressed against the interior walls of the cornet to support the mute in proper position and permit part of the sound and air to pass out the bell around the mute-body, while a part enters and passes into and through the mute, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2. The flexible pieces are preferably made of cork, having a smaller tapering end pressed into suitable perforations in the walls of the body and extending slightly into the interior. The opposite end of the body is expanded, the enlargement being gradual from the smaller end, but spreading more acutely near the larger end, the latter preferably hav ing a short cylindrical straight portion Ct extending into the cap. This parallel or straight portion may, however, be omitted, and the body need not of necessity extend into the cap, the construction depending somewhat upon the degree of curvature or depth of the cap; but I attain the most perfect results when the whole is formed approximately as and in the proportions shown, the drawings being designed to indicate nearly the proportion of one part to the other and the whole to a cornet-bell.

Brackets O of suitable number and shape are provided, preferably three, and are suitably secured, as by rivets l) d, passing through perforations 71 in the brackets and like perforations in the body and cap, so as to rigidly connect the cap to the body and providing a nearly continuous passage or open way G around the body between the wall at m and the edge a of the cap for the escape of sound passing through the body and under the cap, as indicated by arrows. This passage Gperinits the sound-waves to be projected by the cap backward toward the bell of the cornet and to intermingle with those projected there from, thus producing the peculiar effect sought, and in this form of construction lies the principal novelty of my invention, my experiments and skill having demonstrated this to be indispensable to an ideal mute of this class.

The cap 13, being formed of thin walls, is hollow and may be either semispherieal or semispheroidal in form, it being not necessary that it constitute an exact half of a sphere in contour, as it may vary slightly in depth and degree of curvature. The edge of the opening has a flange F, the periphery of which, preferably, has a bead i, forming a convenient supporting-frame for the cap, while serving to prevent distortion of the thin metal aceidentally and at the same time exercising a beneficial influence upon the sound-waves.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mute for cornets comprising a cylindrical body portion enlarged at one end and a cap therefor of greater diameter than the enlarged end of the body portion and secured thereto so that an annular passage is provided between said enlarged end and the walls of said cap, and means whereby said mute may be removably supported by the bell of a cornet, substantially as set forth.

2. A mute for cornets consisting of a cylindrical body enlarged at one end, radially-disposed projecting brackets secured at the enlarged end, a cap covering said enlarged end but extending over its walls to provide an annular open way or passage for the escape of air and sound from said body portion toward the soundwaves issuing from the cornet-bell exteriorly to said body portion and suitably secured to said brackets, and means whereby said mute may be removably supported in a cornet-bell, substantially as set forth.

3. A device of the character described consisting of a hollow cylindrical body portion having a smaller end provided with flexible studs or members projecting from the outer surface thereof and a larger end provided with brackets projecting from the periphery thereof, and a hemispherically-shaped hollow cap of greater diameter than said larger end of said body portion and extending over said larger end with an annular passage way through which musical tones may be emitted from said body portion, said cap being secured to said brackets, substantially as shown and described.

4:. The combination with a cornet, of the body part A, having the cap part B secured thereto so as to provide the annular passage G between the walls of said two parts, the brackets by which said two parts are connected, and the flexible members by which said body part is supported in the bell of said eornet, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination with a cornet-bell, of a mute having a body part A provided with the projecting straight part a having the brackets C secured thereto, a hemispherically-shaped cap B situate at the front of said part a but separated therefrom to provide an annular passage G and secured to said brackets, and the securing members D, substantially as shown and described.

(5. In a mute of the character described, the combination of the body part having means whereby the same may be supported, and a cap secured to the outerend of said body part and having its edges overhanging said outer end to provide an annular passage between the walls of; said end and said cap, substantially as shown and described.

'7. In a mute of the character described, the combination with the body part, of the extended straight portion a, the brackets C socured to said straight portion, and the hemi' spherical cap B having the flange F and of greater diameter than said straight portion to provide an annular passage G and secured to said brackets, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES .T. KIEFER. lVitnesses:

.I. WILL. (hittanim, E. 'l. StLvIUs. 

